Comments for Rob Seward's BLOG http://robseward.com/blog BLOG Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:39:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Build your own True Random Number Generator 2! by Rob Seward http://robseward.com/blog/2009/04/21/build-your-own-true-random-number-generator-2/comment-page-1/#comment-975 Rob Seward Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:25:59 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=136#comment-975 This RNG only works if a 12v power supply is plugged into the arduino. The Vin pin is connected directly to the power supply; therefore the circuit is at 12v and the 2n3904s can avalanche. You're right that they don't breakdown at 5v. If you look at the circuit with an oscilloscope you should see a healthy amount of fuzz at 12v, but at 5v there is nothing. If you successfully try transistors that avalanche at 5v, let me know! The power supply in this board is an extra expense that would be nice to eliminate. This RNG only works if a 12v power supply is plugged into the arduino. The Vin pin is connected directly to the power supply; therefore the circuit is at 12v and the 2n3904s can avalanche. You’re right that they don’t breakdown at 5v. If you look at the circuit with an oscilloscope you should see a healthy amount of fuzz at 12v, but at 5v there is nothing.

If you successfully try transistors that avalanche at 5v, let me know! The power supply in this board is an extra expense that would be nice to eliminate.

]]> Comment on Build your own True Random Number Generator 2! by DavidBear http://robseward.com/blog/2009/04/21/build-your-own-true-random-number-generator-2/comment-page-1/#comment-974 DavidBear Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:59:09 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=136#comment-974 I'm confused by the choice of the 2N3904 transistors in RNG2. However, the Vbe breakdown voltage is 6V according to the datasheet (http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/nationalsemiconductor/DS013058.PDF). Since the arduino usually runs on 5V, how are you getting your avalanche? I noticed in RNG1 that you use a MAX232 to get a 20V source. Are you really just measuring the noise of the ADC (probably a fine source of randomness)? Might a PN5134 work better for this application? I would really like to make a RNG with an arduino or pic, and I enjoyed learning through your experiences. I think the idea of recalibrating the system to account for component aging is brilliant. I’m confused by the choice of the 2N3904 transistors in RNG2. However, the Vbe breakdown voltage is 6V according to the datasheet (http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/nationalsemiconductor/DS013058.PDF). Since the arduino usually runs on 5V, how are you getting your avalanche? I noticed in RNG1 that you use a MAX232 to get a 20V source. Are you really just measuring the noise of the ADC (probably a fine source of randomness)? Might a PN5134 work better for this application? I would really like to make a RNG with an arduino or pic, and I enjoyed learning through your experiences. I think the idea of recalibrating the system to account for component aging is brilliant.

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by Sharedtut http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-973 Sharedtut Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:14:30 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-973 great post, thank you for sharing. great post, thank you for sharing.

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by Set Your Fonts to MERGE! « John Paul http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-926 Set Your Fonts to MERGE! « John Paul Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:00:41 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-926 [...] http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/ Filed under: General Leave a comment Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) ( subscribe to comments on this post ) [...] [...] http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/ Filed under: General Leave a comment Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) ( subscribe to comments on this post ) [...]

]]> Comment on Word Association Apps by Bill Bartmann- http://robseward.com/blog/2009/02/23/word-association-apps/comment-page-1/#comment-905 Bill Bartmann- Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:11:23 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=80#comment-905 Great site...keep up the good work. Great site…keep up the good work.

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by links for 2009-08-18 http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-889 links for 2009-08-18 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:15:15 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-889 [...] Rob Seward’s BLOG » Font Averaging Cool! > @aral: The perfect typeface? What the average of all fonts on your computer looks like: http://bit.ly/nKehb (via @grantmichaels) [from http://twitter.com/bkuri/statuses/3370184673] (tags: tweecious Font Sans-serif RobSeward Graphics RSS Web-safefonts Permalink Trackback) [...] [...] Rob Seward’s BLOG » Font Averaging Cool! > @aral: The perfect typeface? What the average of all fonts on your computer looks like: http://bit.ly/nKehb (via @grantmichaels) [from http://twitter.com/bkuri/statuses/3370184673 (tags: tweecious Font Sans-serif RobSeward Graphics RSS Web-safefonts Permalink Trackback) [...]

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by jeremy http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-887 jeremy Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:00:38 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-887 is it bad that I want this rendered as an actual font is it bad that I want this rendered as an actual font

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by Rob http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-886 Rob Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:14:19 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-886 Sam, there are 492 fonts in the first example. It would have been more, but some fonts (like futura???) won't load in AS3 (see my previous comment). Sam, there are 492 fonts in the first example. It would have been more, but some fonts (like futura???) won’t load in AS3 (see my previous comment).

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by Rob http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-885 Rob Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:11:24 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-885 Flash, if it has a problem rendering a font, will render it as Times. Unfortunately, there is no way (as far as I could tell) in AS3 to see if flash can't load a font. So, if flash can't access one of the web-safe sans-serif fonts on your computer, it throws a Times font in there. If anyone knows a way of detecting if a font isn't loading, please let me know. To figure out which fonts on my machine wouldn't load, I wrote a routine that compared the bitmap of the letter "A" in each font to a bitmap of the letter "A" rendered as Times. This seemed like a very hacky fix, but I couldn't find simpler way of doing it. Flash, if it has a problem rendering a font, will render it as Times. Unfortunately, there is no way (as far as I could tell) in AS3 to see if flash can’t load a font. So, if flash can’t access one of the web-safe sans-serif fonts on your computer, it throws a Times font in there.

If anyone knows a way of detecting if a font isn’t loading, please let me know. To figure out which fonts on my machine wouldn’t load, I wrote a routine that compared the bitmap of the letter “A” in each font to a bitmap of the letter “A” rendered as Times. This seemed like a very hacky fix, but I couldn’t find simpler way of doing it.

]]> Comment on Font Averaging by JJ http://robseward.com/blog/2009/08/04/font-averaging/comment-page-1/#comment-884 JJ Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:44:28 +0000 http://robseward.com/blog/?p=148#comment-884 Cool idea, although you might want to check out the sans serif set once more. Cool idea, although you might want to check out the sans serif set once more.

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